Poker Face
by Lacrimosa Moon
Summary: Attending high school for the first time is nerve-wracking enough without having an older brother who teases you relentlessly, and a busybody aunt, whose best intentions sometimes embarrass you. Bella handles it all in stride by keeping a poker face. But when she meets the cute new boy in town, Jasper Whitlock, can she hide her true feelings? AH
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: All things Twilight belong to SM.

**AN**: This is a short drabble that I wrote for my niece. There are seven short sections that I will post daily.

**Beta**: ajr818

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"Bella." I felt a gentle nudge as I heard my name being called.

"Bella." The deep voice called a little louder, and a hand started to shake my shoulder.

"Go away," I mumbled, rolling over in my bed.

The hand disappeared and footsteps faded away down the hall far from my room.

Just as I was about to flip over, ice-cold water splashed on my face. I jumped up out of bed screeching like a cat in heat and bumped into my brother, Emmett. He stood beside my bed, holding a large Texas Longhorn cup in his hand, and a smirk on his face.

"What the hell?" I yelled.

"Mom told me to get you up." He smiled, dimples flashing.

"Dang, Emmett. She didn't tell you to throw water on my head." I pushed him aside, and I ran down the hall yelling for my mom.

"Mom, Emmett threw water on my head."

"Bella, I don't have time for this. I'm late for work, and I can't find my glasses. You need to get yourself ready," she said, plunging her hands between the sofa cushions. "Where are they?"

"You're wearing them." I rolled my eyes.

She touched the red frames perched on the tip of her nose.

"Oh!" She giggled and pulled me to her, giving me a hug. "Good luck on your first day of high school." She walked to door and suddenly stopped. "Oh yeah, your Aunt Carmen is taking you to school, so you don't have to take the bus today."

Emmett's head popped out from the kitchen doorway. Oreo cookie crumbs covered his mouth. "Aunt Carmen is here?" he asked with excitement.

"Um, hmm," she said, burying her nose into her purse. "She wants to take Bella to her first day of high school. Where are my keys?"

"Hey, why didn't she come last year when it was my first day of high school?" Emmett frowned.

"I don't know. You ask her," she grumbled. "Ah, there they are!" She pulled her car keys from the bottom of her purse. "I need to go, so you all behave yourselves. Don't give your Aunt Carmen a hard time."

"Okay. Bye, Mom," we said as she walked out the door.

I was nervous about my Aunt Carmen driving us to school. Sometimes she could be cool, but you never knew when she was going to do something to embarrass you. I went to the kitchen and poured myself some cereal. I sat down and swirled it around the bowl, staring into space as I imagined what it would be like going to high school. Emmett said it was no big deal and that he wasn't scared when he went last year. But then again, Emmett would never tell me if he actually was afraid.

"Are you going to keep staring at the cereal, or are you actually going to eat it anytime soon?"

I jumped in my seat at the sound of the voice and turned to find my Aunt Carmen grinning at me.

"Oh, my baby!" she cried as she threw her arms around me. "You're all grown up and going to high school."

I squirmed. I didn't mind the hugging, but it was just too weird being called a baby. She didn't have any children of her own, so over the years she treated Emmett and I like we were her kids. Well, that's what she would do when she visited us, which wasn't very often.

"Aunt Carmen, I'm not a baby anymore." I gasped, trying to get some air. She was squeezing me so tight I couldn't breathe.

She ignored my protests as a dreamy expression flashed across her eyes as if she were remembering something in the past. "I still remember when you were little. You would jump on my lap, pulling my hair." Her eyes glistened with tears lost in her memories.

After a moment, she shook her head and looked down at me. "If you're not going to eat that, then we need to get going," she said, taking the bowl and placing it in the kitchen sink. "We don't want you to be late for your first day of high school, do we?"

I sighed and ran to my room to grab my backpack. Butterflies started to fill my stomach, anticipating what would happen on my first day at San Marcos High School.

As we piled into Aunt Carmen's car, Emmett called _shotgun,_ so of course he jumped into the front, leaving me to sit in the back. When I opened the door, Seth, our neighbor and friend, was lounging in the seat, lazily looking out the window as if this were just another ordinary day for him. Emmett and I had been friends with Seth since we were eight years old. I came to think of him as a brother. Whether it was playing stickball in the back yard or gunning down aliens in our living room, he was always in our lives.

Compared to Emmett, Seth was small in stature, but that never got in his way. He could knock Emmett to the ground in five seconds flat. The red baseball cap tilted to the side, the dimples that flashed in his cheek when he smiled, and his confident swagger drew girls to him like a minute rico suave.

"Whaddup?" he asked as I climbed into the car.

I rolled my eyes and ignored him; his confidence made me even more nervous. He was a sophomore and didn't have to worry about being called a freshman fish this year.

Aunt Carmen climbed into the car and looked at Seth. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"Yep." Seth stuck a hand in his pocket and pulled out a chicken strip. He took a bite then placed it back into his pocket. "Finger lickin' good."

Aunt Carmen gave him a puzzled look and started the car. "That boy just ain't right," she mumbled as we drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Cars crowded the neighborhood streets as we drove to school. Minivans and SUVs filled with children excited about their first day of school. Ah, to be young again, where the only thing you had to worry about was how you were going to tie your shoelaces if they became loose while running on the playground.

I closed my eyes in attempts of slowing down my pounding heart when screeching tires and a loud thump startled them open. The first thing I saw was a mass of black faux leather from the back of the driver's seat as I flew forward. Fortunately, I had my seatbelt on, preventing my face from smacking it.

"What the fu—" cried Aunt Carmen. She took a deep breath before whipping around, her eyes filled with worry. "Are you guys all right?"

I nodded. My hands were a bit shaky, but no damage done. I knew my aunt was a crazy driver, but she never hit anyone before.

"Ooh, you said the f-word," taunted Seth.

"No, I didn't," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Shut up, Seth," Emmett and I shouted in unison.

"Yes, you did," he mumbled under his breath.

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, Seth could be such a pain.

"Y'all wait in the car. I'm going to see if the kid is okay," she said.

"Emmett, what's going on?" I asked, watching him peer over the hood of the car trying to get a better look from where he was sitting.

"Some dude in a bike darted across the street and Aunt Carmen hit him." He opened the car door.

"She told us to stay in here," I warned.

"When do we ever listen to what we are told to do?" Emmett climbed out of the car.

He was right. I quickly unbuckled my seat belt.

"Don't you want to see?" I asked Seth who was playing a game on his iPod.

"Nah, I've seen blood and guts before." He shrugged. "It's no big deal."

I walked toward the front of the car, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw my aunt talking to most beautiful boy I'd ever seen in my life. Tousled blond hair framed a gorgeous face. His full lips curled into a smile. My aunt was apologizing profusely as she helped him to his feet.

"Are you sure you are okay?" she asked as she looked over him for injuries.

My eyes traveled up his slender body, admiring his muscles. He looked fine to me.

"Yes, ma'am. You hit the bike's front tire, not me. Besides, my dad says I have a hard head, so more than likely I would've injured your car and not the other way around." He laughed and the deep throaty sound made my heart beat just a little faster.

He bent down to pull the bike that was lodged under the front tire, his muscles straining against his tight black t-shirt.

_Holy hell, he's fine. _I felt faint.

"I'm so sorry about your bike. I'll pay for another one," Aunt Carmen insisted. She looked down at her watch and cried, "Crap! We need to get going. Let's get the bike in the trunk, and I'll give you a ride."

"Thank you, ma'am," he replied. "I appreciate it."

My eyes followed him as he placed the bike into the trunk of the car. I thought I heard my aunt say something to me, but all I could do was stare at the beautiful long lashes draped over warm blue eyes that were looking curiously back at me. _Oh, shit! He's looking at me._

_HONK! HOOOOOOONK!_

I jumped at the sound and looked back at the car. Emmett was laughing as he pulled his hand away from the car horn. I don't know when, and I don't know where, but I was going to get back at him for that.

"Bella, get your butt in the car. We need to go," Aunt Carmen said loudly as she shooed Emmett away from the steering wheel.

"After you." The boy smiled.

I stepped into the car, thanking God that I wore my good jeans—the ones that made my butt look good. I slid down the seat to Seth, who was still playing his game and didn't even seem to notice that we had an extra passenger in the car.

"Jasper, let me introduce you to everyone. This is my nephew, Emmett. He's a sophomore, too." She gestured to Emmett. "You did say you were a sophomore, right?"

"Yes, ma'am." Jasper stuck out his hand toward Emmett.

"Hey, dude. I'm glad my aunt didn't kill you," Emmett said as he shook Jasper's hand.

"Emmett, behave." Aunt Carmen slapped his shoulder lightly. "The little one staring intently at his iPod is Seth. He's a friend of the family, and he's also a sophomore this year."

"Yo," Seth acknowledged as his thumbs frantically tapped the iPod screen.

"And that lovely young lady sitting next to you is my niece, Bella." Her beaming face reflected off the rearview mirror.

I groaned. _Lord, help me._

"Uh, hi . . . it's . . . n -nice to m-meet you," I stammered. My cheeks felt like they were about to burst into flames at any moment.

_Get a hold of yourself! _I mentally slapped myself. I prayed that he didn't notice how stupid I sounded. When I turned to look at him, all I saw was a friendly smile as he extended his hand to shake mine.

I wiped my hand quickly on my jeans, hoping he wouldn't notice how sweaty it was. I placed my hand into his. _Oh, my God. His hand is so strong and soft at the same time._

"It's nice to meet you, too, Bella," he replied. "Are you a sophomore, too?"

I nearly swooned. The way he said my name while holding my hand made me feel light-headed. I took a deep breath and put on my poker face, determined to hide my attraction to him as well as save myself from further embarrassment. "No, I'm a freshman."

"So, Jasper, are you new to San Marcos?" my aunt asked.

My aunt chatted with Jasper asking him one question after another. Part of me wanted her to stop being so nosy because it was just so embarrassing. She just wouldn't stop talking. But, I was getting some useful information from the conversation. He told her that he just moved from Forks, Washington because his father was offered a job in the area. When she asked him what he liked to do for fun, his face lit up and he talked about how he was trying to learn how to draw. Thank God we pulled up to the school just as Aunt Carmen was telling him about the drawings I sketched for her that were still hanging on her refrigerator door.

"I'll be parked here when you get out of school," Aunt Carmen said as we climbed out of the car. "Jasper, I'll take you home, too, okay?"

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that," he replied.

_Thank you, Aunt Carmen._ I had another opportunity to be near Jasper. Maybe I'd finally think of something to say.


	3. Chapter 3

Classes flew by and were boring—as expected. The only thing interesting about school was lunch. I went outside to the school's picnic tables and waited for my best friend Emily to join me. I scanned the sea of teen hormones looking for her when I spotted Jessica.

Every school has a Jessica. She was _that_ girl. The girl with the boobs who wasn't afraid to show she had them; the girl that had every guy in school drooled over when she passed by. She was also the girl who was mean to anyone that she deemed unworthy. Right now she was being mean to JJ.

JJ had an autoimmune disorder that made him so weak that he had to be in a wheelchair most of the time. It also made his face extremely puffy.

"Hey, JJ. Weren't you the one who played the role of Alvin in the chipmunk movie?" Jessica and her entourage of bimbos giggled.

Tears began to well in JJ's eyes.

"Aw, I think we hurt his feelings," Jessica taunted. "Do you want your momma?"

"Knock it off, Jessica," I said as I pushed her away from JJ.

"Get your hands off me, bitch." Jessica glared but kept her distance. Like most bullies, she was all talk.

"Do we have a problem here?" Emily walked toward us.

Jessica's eyes widened as she watched Emily crack her knuckles.

I don't know why most people in the school were afraid of Emily. Somehow in fourth grade she had gotten the reputation that she didn't put up with shit from anyone. Maybe it had to do with the scar on her right cheek. She told everyone she'd gotten it when she fought a sixth grader. Only I knew that she got the scar after we washed her cat in the washing machine after we thought it would be cute to paint pink dots on her fur. When she took the cat out, it screeched and swiped her claw across Emily's cheek.

I guess the cat was mad.

"No problem here." Jessica took a step back. "We were just leaving."

"That's what I thought." Emily glared at Jessica, and she and her friends scrambled to go back inside the building.

"Thanks, Emily," I said.

"No problem."

I bent down next to JJ's wheelchair, trying to get his attention. "Hey, JJ. Want to eat lunch with us?"

He looked up, his cheeks wet with tears. "Come on," I encouraged. "Emily and I really want to you to eat lunch with us. Right, Emily?"

She nodded. "You bet."

He grinned. "Okay."

I smiled. He really was cute. I couldn't understand why some people were so mean to him.

"So, what's for lunch?" Emily asked as we settled in a nearby table.

"I have a couple of chicken tacos and one bean taco."

"Can I have the bean taco? I love your mom's bean tacos."

I handed it to her and gave JJ a chicken taco. As we munched on our lunch, I noticed Jasper sitting under a tree. _Oh, shit! He's looking at us! _

I took small bites of my food and carefully chewed with my mouth closed. I hated when people watched me eat, especially good-looking guys like Jasper.

I glanced over at him. He looked lonely. Maybe he wanted some company? Just as I was gathering the courage to ask him if he wanted to join us, Jessica—minus her cult followers— popped out of the building and sauntered over to him.

I groaned. I had no chance in hell with him now. Once Jasper got a gander at Jessica's double Ds, he wouldn't even remember my name. Okay, so maybe I was a exaggerating a bit. But still, the girl was huge, and she knew how to use them to her advantage. She should come with a warning label and a bottle of bleach. _Health Contamination. Use at Your Own Risk . . . _or something like that.

I put on my poker face and ignored them. I wasn't interested in him anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

Just as I was settled into math and readied myself for another boring class, the school counselor walked in and pulled me out. Great. What did I do now?

"Bella, I'm going to place you in geometry," she said.

"What? Why?"

"You took algebra in eighth grade. And your aunt talked with the principal this morning, demanding that you be placed in a higher math class. She wouldn't leave the office until we agreed. So we called your mom, and she said to go ahead and move you to an advanced class."

_Oh, God._ I covered my face with my hands. Could my day get any worse?

~PokerFace~

My day got worse.

As soon as I walked into my new class, there he was—Jasper.

The class was mixed with freshman and sophomores. I knew some of the freshman. They all had the reputation of being the nerdy kids, the ones that were know-it-alls.

Oh, crap! Now Jasper was going to think I was a nerd. Damn you, Aunt Carmen.

I put on my poker face and pretended that I didn't care.

I searched the room for an empty desk. The only seat left was the one in front of him.

_I hate my life. _

At least, I didn't eat any of my mom's bean tacos. I shuddered at the thought of Ode de Frijoles wafting through the air and heading toward Jasper's cute nose.


	5. Chapter 5

When class ended, I leaped out of my seat hoping to escape before I did anything embarrassing in front of him.

Just as I was about to walk about the door, I felt a warm, strong hand on my arm. I turned slowly and there he was. He was touching me. Me!

His touch sent a tingling sensation all over my body and in places that I never knew even existed. I quickly put on my poker face. I couldn't let him know that I liked him.

"Mind if I walk with you? I'm not sure where to wait for your aunt to pick us up."

"Whatever," I said, trying to sound like I didn't care.

As we waited for my Aunt Carmen outside the building, Jasper asked me questions about what kinds of things there were to do in San Marcos. Just as I was about to answer him, Emmett and Seth joined us.

"Hey, Jasper, want to play Little Big World at my house?" Emmett asked.

"Sure. I've always wanted to play that game."

I turned to Emmett, giving him my best I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-your-sleep look.

He looked at me like he didn't have a clue what I was trying to tell him.

I sighed. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad having Jasper over at the house.


	6. Chapter 6

Thumbs frantically attacked the controller as Jasper and Emmett played the game on our monster-sized television.

I sat in the corner of the room, partly drawing on my sketchpad and partly checking out Jasper.

Yeah, I was checking him out. Sue me.

When it was Seth's turn to play, I forced myself to concentrate on my sketchpad. I didn't want to get caught staring at Jasper.

"That's pretty good."

I looked up and there he was, towering over me and glancing down at my sketch of Tweety Bird.

"Thanks." I tried to play it cool, so I put on my poker face. "It's for my aunt."

He smiled. "Your aunt's cool."

"I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess? I _am_ cool." My Aunt Carmen walked into the living room with a huge grin. "You ready to go home, Jasper?"

"Yes, ma'am."


	7. Chapter 7

The next few weeks in school were a surprise. Jasper kept talking to me. Me! He didn't bother to glance at Jessica, who kept wearing super tight t-shirts, trying to get his attention. He even sat with Emily, JJ, and me every day for lunch.

What was even more surprising was that he would come over to our house every afternoon and play video games with Emmett and Seth. Sometimes he would sit next to me and I'd teach him how to draw cartoon characters. He sucked at it, but I'd smile and tell him that he was doing well.

Yeah, I'm a liar.

One day we sat on the front porch and I was trying to teach him how to draw flowers. He was trying to draw a rose, using my mother's rose bush as inspiration. It looked like a miniature cabbage. I was about to suggest to him that he try to draw something else when he put his pencil down and gazed intently at me.

"Uh, Bella, there's something I want to ask you."

I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. I felt the butterflies in the pit of my stomach flutter like crazy.

"What?" My voice came out in a whisper. I was having a difficult time breathing. If he kept looking at me like that, I was going to pass out.

"Would you be my girlfriend?"

I blinked. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He actually wanted me.

"Yes," I breathed.

His face inched closer to mine, his lips parting slightly.

_Holy shit! He's going to kiss me._

His lips hovered above mine. I could feel his hot breath against my skin. "Good," he whispered, and then his lips pressed onto mine.

My heart pounded as his hands slowly slid up my arm and behind my neck. He pulled me closer to him, and I thought I was going to explode under the heat of his touch.

After a moment, he pulled away.

I glanced up at him and smiled.

His hand reached out, and his finger traced over my lips. "I like you, Bella. I'm glad that you feel the same way, too."

I did like him. I was relieved that he felt the same way about me. I didn't have to be afraid of showing my true feelings for him anymore. From that day on, no more poker face.

~the end . . . for now~

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**AN**: This story was originally a short one-shot, but I hope to continue it after I complete Coward of the County, so, stay tuned. :)

Thanks to all who read and left reviews. Happy Holidays!


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